Rail-lubricating device.



C. H. CLARK. RAIL LUBRICATING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED nov. 1. I915.

Patented Nov. 21. 1916.

2 sums-mm I.

aim

C. H. CLARK.

RAIL LUBRICATING DEVICE.

APPLICATlON FILED NOV. 1. 1915.

Patented Nova 21, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED ES PATENT OFFICE.

RAIL-LUBRICATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 1, 1915. Serial No. 59,052.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES H. CLARK, citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Lubricating Devices, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in rail lubricating devices, the present embodiment of the invention being particularly designed and adapted for use in' lubricating the side or flanged portions of street railway rails, and the improved device is designed to be applied at the inner sides of the rails and at the curved portions of the track to lessen the friction, wear and noise between the car wheels and the curved portions of the rails.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a generally improved lubricating device for the purposes above mentioned which will be simple in construction, cheap of manufacture, and efficient in use, as well as one which may be readily applied to the curved portions of rails and is adapted to be intermittently operated through the'medium of suitable pump and plunger mechanism adapted to be operated by each car wheel, the improved devicebeing provided with a suitable lubricant outlet port adapted to intermittently discharge small and meas ured quantities of lubricant at the side or flanged portions of the rail whereby the rail and flanged portions of the car wheels will be kept properly lubricated.

In carrying out this invention, a suitable supply of lubricant is provided through the medium of a suitable reservoir or receptacle and a suitable pump of the plunger or pis-' ton type together with suitable pump actuating mechanism including a suitable'plunger adapted to be operated by the passin car wheels, and means for regulating the t row or stroke of the pump, piston or' 'plunger whereby the quantities oflubricant intermitt'ently discharged may be regulated.

With the above mentioned and other ends 7 in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts," hereinafter described, illustrated in one of its embodiments in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring .to the drawings forming a partof this-; specification, Figure 1, is a top plan view ofa'track lubricating device applied to the inner side of a conventional form of railway' rail commonly used on street car railways, a portion of the cover plates of the casing or housing provided with the oil reservoir. and operating mechanism being broken away for the purpose of clearer illustration of the internal or subjacent parts. Fig. 2, aside elevationof the same, certain portions of the housing or casing be- Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

ing broken away and shown in section for the purpose .of clearer illustration of the parts and their relative relation to each I other. Fig. 3, a cross sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1, a portion ofthe partition wall between the lever housing and oil reservoir being broken away to illustrate the pump and pump actuating mechanism in the oil reservoir or receptacle. Fig. 4:, an enlarged end View of the pump detached or removed from the oil' reservoir or receptacle. Fig. 5, a view of the same partly in side elevation and partly in central vertical section. Fig. 6, a view of the pump casing partly in top plan view and partly in central horizontal section, the plunger and plunger regulating mechanism being removed.

Similar numerals of reference designate like parts throughout all the figures of'the drawings.

The improved rail lubricating device comprisesa suitable casing or housing 1, adapted to form a suitable reservoir or receptacle 1, for the oil .or lubricant and preferably provided at one end with a partition wall 1 forming a lever or plunger housing 1. The lever or plunger housing 1, is adapted to abut against the inner side of the rail to be lubricated, the abutting portion of the movable wheel operated plunger member 3, i

the latter being adapted to be intermittently operated or depressed by the flanged portions of the passing car wheels, said plunger member 3, being pivotally connected to and carried by a lever or arm 4, operating in the plunger housing 1, and connected to a rock shaft 5, the latter extending through and having a suitable bearing in the partition wall 1", and being also supported in suitable As a means of resistingthe depressing action of the plunger member 3, and lever arm 4, as well as returning and holding the parts 3 and 4, in their normal or elevated positions, the rock shaft 5, is surrounded by a torsion spring 7 one end of the latter being secured to one of the bearing brackets 6, and

theother being secured to a collar 8, the latter being keyed or otherwise suitably secured to the shaft 5;

As a meangj actuating the pump-plunger or piston of the improved pump h'ereinafter described, the rock shaft 5, is provided with a second depending lever 9, arranged, in the present instance, 1n proximity to one of the walls of the casing or housing. and being adapted to abut against and be stopped the adjacent wall of the casing through the medium of a'stop block 10, carried by the lower end of the lever 9, said stop block being secured, in the present instance, by means of a pair of attaching bolts or securing elements 10. v

The pump may be ofany suitable formv or type, but in the present instance, comprises a pump of the plunger or piston type consisting of a pump body 11, removably mounted within and carrying a frame or bracket 12, through the medium of set screws or bolts 12, said pump body 11, beingprovided with supporting fiange's11", adapted to be secured upon the floor of the reservoir through the medium of suitable securing elements 13.

The pump body 11, is provided with a suitable chamber 11, intersected by a suit able plunger or piston stem 14, the-latter havin a reduced threaded stem 14, and provi ing an annular piston head 14 operating within the chamber 11. The small area of the annular portion 14, will obviously only express a small quantity of lubricant in'the chamber 11, with each working.

impulse of, the plunger stem 14, so that only a small but measured quantity of lubricant will be discharged with each working impulse of the pump as actuated by the car wheel operated plunger mechanism.

As a means of limitin and regulating the stroke of the piston an piston stems the reduced stem 14, is provided-.with an adjustably mounted sleeve 15, slidably mount-j ed in a bearing opening 12, of the pump supporting frame 12, said sleeve 15, being provided with a stop flange '15, and, being secured in any desired adjusted position by means of the adjusting nuts 16, on the threaded stem 14?.

The plunger stems 14, and 14, are adapted to operate through suitable stufling boxesand adjustable. guide nuts 16, and the pump impulse of the pump.

chamber 11, communicates with the bottom portion of the oil reservoir through the medium of a suitable lubricant receiving inlet port 17, controlled by a pair of bal valves 18, the latter being mounted on suitable valve seats in a vertically extending valve opening 18, access being afforded to the ball valves 18, through the medium of a threaded plug 19.

The pump chamber 11*, is provided at its top with an outlet port 20, in a threaded valve housing 21, the latter being provided with a pair of valves 22, and access being given to such ball valves 22, by means of a threaded plug 23. a

As a means of conducting the lubricant from the pump to the flanged portion of the rail to be lubricated, the valve housing 21, is provided, in the present instance, with a conduit pipe (see Figs. 1 and 2 of the draw}- ings), the latter having its discharge en located in or communicating with a lubricant discharge port 25, located, in the present instance, inv the flanged portion of the rail and in such proximity to the wheel operated plunger member 3, that when the latter is depressed by a car wheel, a suitable measured quantity of lubricant will be discharged upon theinner side of the flanged portion of the car wheel through the discharge port 25.

The conduit pipe 24, may communicate with the valve housing 21, through the medium of a suitable opening 21", (see Fig. 5), and it may be explained that thepurpose of havingthe ball valves 18 and 22, arranged in pairs 1s to prevent the inoperation of the valves should oneof the'balls fail to close byreason of any ;foreign substance gettin into the valve seats and preventing one o the. valves from closing with each working a coiled spring 26, is interposed between the.

bearing head 14, and the cross head portion of the supporting frame'or-bracket 12, of i the pump.

'fAs. a means of securely sealing the oil reservoir or receptacle 1", as against the entrance of external substances such as water,

dirt, and the like, the casing or housing 1, is provided with an inset flange 1, provided with threaded openings 11, to receive and contain suitable threaded securing bolts 27 (see Figs. 1 and 2) passing through the channeled portions of the top plate 28,- a "second or removable plate or cover 29, being removably mounted within the casing or izo formation of such a vacuum in the recep tacle 1*, as might interfere with the perfect working of the device, a pet cock 30, is mounted in the partition wall 1*, and is provided with a suitable hand valve 31, which may be readily operated from within the plunger housing 1. I

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood.

' Having thus described one of the embodiments of my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. In a rail lubricating device, a rail,a source of lubricant supply leading thereto, a pump, means for adjusting and regulating the latter, and car wheel operated pump actuating mechanism operatively connected with said rail.

I l a I n l 3. A ra1l lubricatlng device, comprising a casing including an 011 reservolr and a plunger housing, a pump in said reservoir provided with a lubricant outlet port, pump actuating plunger mechanism in said plunger housing, and means for adjusting and regulating the working impulses imparted to said pump by said pump actuating mechanism.

4:. In a rail lubricating device, a rail, a lubricant casing, a valved lubricant conduit leading to one side of said rail, and pump and pump actuating and adjusting mecha-' nism carried by said casing in cooperative relation to said rail and the outlet portion of said lubricant conduit whereby a car wheel passing said lubricant conduit will receive a supply of lubricant.

5. A rail lubricating device, comprising a casing including a valved oil reservoir and a separate plunger housing, a pump in said oil reservoir rovided with a valved outlet port intersectlng the side of the rail to be lubricated, and wheel operated plunger mechanism in said plunger housing, said plunger mechanism including a plunger member vertically movable in said rail in proximity to the outlet portion of said valved outlet port. I

6. In a rail lubricating device, a rail, a

. eating outlet vshaft.

lubricant casing and pump and pump actuating mechanism, said pump actuating mechanism including a car wheel operated plunger member at the side of said rail, and said casing including a lubricant supply outlet in the side of said rail in proximity to said plunger member, and means for regulating the action of said pump and pump actuating mechanism.

7. A rail lubricating device, comprising a rail, a casing including an oil reservoir and a plunger housing, a pump communicating with said reservoir and provided with a I valved rail lubricating outlet port, a pump piston, a rock shaft provided with an arm operatively connected with said pump piston, means for regulating the stroke of said pump piston, and a wheel operated plunger in said rail in proximity to said rail lubriport connected to said rock 8. In a raillubricating device, a rail, a casing including a supply of lubricant and a valved lubricant conduit leading to the flanged portion of said rail, a pump between said lubricant conduit and said lubricant supply, means for adjusting and regulating said pump and pump actuating plunger mechanism carried 'bysaid casing in close proximity to the outlet portion of said lubricant conduit of said rail whereby the flanged .portion of a passing car wheel depressing said plunger will receive a supply of lubricant from said lubricant conduit. 9. In a rail lubricating device, a rail including a flanged and grooved portion at one side, a casing provided with a lubricant supply, a pump within said casing and provided with a lubricant outlet conduit intersecting said flanged grooved portion of said rail, and a vertically movable. plunger arranged within the flanged and grooved portion of said rail in proximity to the outlet portion of said lubricant outlet conduit and operatively connected to said pump, and means for regulating the working impulses of said pump independently of said plunger.

10. A rail lubricating device, comprising a rail including a side grooved and flanged portion, a casing including an oil reservoir and a plunger housing, a pump mounted in said reservoir including an adjustably mounted spring resisted plunger stem, a rock shaft mounted in said casing and extending into said reservoir and said plunger housing, said shaft being provided with a depending lever in cooperative relation to said spring resisted adjustably mounted plunger stem, a lever mounted on said shaft in said plunger housing, a plunger member mounted on said lever and within the grooved portion of said rail and a valved outlet port extending from said pump and intersecting the flanged and grooved portion of said rail in' close proximity to said vertically movable plunger member. v

11. In a rail lubricating device, the com.- bination with a rail provided on one side with a grooved and upwardly extending flanged portion and a vertically movable plunger member arranged Within said rail and normally projecting within said grooved portion; of a track casingprovided with an oil reservoir and having a separate plunger housing abutting against said rail and in open communication with said vertically movable plunger member, a spring resisted rock shaft mounted in said casing and provided at ,one end witha lever in said plunger housing carrying said plunger member and at the other with a depending lever arranged within said reservoir, and a pump within said reservoir having an adu: itlluulmlllwilllllll 

